Kuala Lumpur, July 10 -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has urged all parties involved in the South China Sea dispute to act with "wisdom and prudence" to preserve regional peace and safeguard global trade, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Thursday.

Speaking at the ASEAN-China meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan warned that rising geopolitical tensions, particularly between China and the United States, posed serious risks to regional security and the global economy. "We must therefore ensure that geopolitical tensions do not escalate or threaten to undermine security and global trade in the South China Sea," he said, as quoted by SCMP.

The remarks come as tensions grow be...